Gas making with emulsified fuel



` Au'g. 2l, 1934.

M. w. lDITTO- GAS MAKING WITH EMULSIFIED FUEL Filed March 6, 1930 @s NN an un?,

wvww Lung OD kuNooU om www2 Patented Aug. 2l, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT? OFI-Ica Gas Fuel Corporation, New York. N.

poration of Delaware Y., a cor- Aplillclon March 8, 1930, `Serial No. 433,696 2 Claims. (Cl. 482l5) yThis invention relates to improvements in processes for the emulsifying of hydrocarbon oils and the manufacture of filxed hydrocarbon gas therefrom. s One of the salient objects of the invention is to provide a system whereby very heavy oils, preferably residuum oil obtained in an oil re` ilnery after the gasoline, kerosene, gas oiland other fractions have been distilled olf from the original crude. may be utilized in the manufac-f ture of gas. for example. These oils have initial vaporizing points above 400 F., and are now mostly used for fuel oil purposes. I have discovered that if such oils are placed in iluid condition and thoroughly mixed with a base gas, such as air. and an aqueous liquid such as water, that this mixture is admirably adapted as a charging stock in the manufacture of gas.

Another object is to furnish a system oi' this stituents of the mixture may be accurately controlled.- so as to enable the operator to obtain fixed hydrocarbon gases containing as high as 1200 IB. t. u. per cubic foot. i 26 With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds. the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail. illustrated in the accompanying drawing. l0 and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Referring to the drawing, v

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view oftheimproved apparatus. Pig.2isaverticalseetionalviewpartlyinele vation, of the heater unit of the same.

In the drawing, 6 and respectively. designate relatively large storage tanks. the first to contain oil and the second to contain water. thel 40 latter being connected by a valved pipe 'i to a caustic tank 8. the latter containing an aqueous solution of potassium or sodium caustic. to make the water alkalineto the extent of about 1%. The' heavy oil having an initial vaporizing '46 point of about 400 l". is heatsdto a temperature of about 180 1"., in order that it may now through the pipe lines of the apparatus.

Pumps9and10areinterposedintheconduits 11 and 12. leading from the tanka andV 50 6, and these conduits are provided with valves- 13 and 14 for proportioning the pumped liquids before they enter a common discharge pipe 15. -Thelatteriaconneetedtoanairpipe ithaving asuitablecontrolvalve1'i,andoonnectedtoan Il aircompressorls. Air-iromthiseompressorencharacter, in which the proportions of the con-l ters a storage tank 19 from which the compressed air in vproper amount is fed through the pipe 16 and mixed with the oil and water.

A conduit 20 leads the mixture to' a homogenizer 21, a machine now in common use for the e0 recombining of butter fat with milkto form a cream. Buch homogenizers are also used for various other purposes at the presenttime, and they function to thoroughly admix materials entering the same. g5

A conduit 22 leads the mixture from the homogenizer to the hollow shaft 23 of an electric motor 24. such Ashaft extending into a retort 25 and terminating at its lower end in a conical diiluser 26 which acts to atomize the mixture 70 as it enters the retort. The latter may be heated by any suitable means, for instance, it may be arranged in a xe chamber 27 that is connected to a flue orstack 28 for the discharge of the products oi' combustion. 75

'I'he gasifled mixture from-,the upper end voi.' the retort discharges through a take-off pipe 29 that leads to a water-cooled condenser 30. Condensates from the latter drain oi! through the pipe 3l, while the gaseous `mixture thus rea0 lieved of such condensates, may now through a. conduit 32 into a gas holder 33 that leads to a', distributing line 34.

:In practicing the process in connection with this novel apparatus, I ltake fromv the tank 5.

preheated heavy oil of the character heretofore mentioned, and force the same by the pump 9. and in proper proportion, into the pipe 15, and in the latter, this oil is premixed with the alkaline water which is forced by the pump l0 from 00 the tank 6. g On the discharge side of the pumps, the air line ld leads into the pipe l5, and the air yis at aslightlyhigher pressure "than the' liquids. and the premixed materials reaclr the homogenizer aerated to the extent of-.from 10V to 96 25% in volume. As the aerated mixture passes through, and the iluids are combined in the homogenizer. the oil is in a colloidal state. and entrains thewater within small colloidalI capailles, to form an end product that has been This emulsified mixture. on being dlschargedfrom thehomogenizer. passes to the -x'etort 25which is 'externally heated. and the mixture in discharging through the nozzle 28. is atomized. As the motor 24 rapidly rotates the' nozale 28. it will be understood that the emulsind mixture is broken up into-a fine spray. This atomized mixture is exposed to the radiant heat emanating from the walls of the retort. and is instantaneously converted into vapors and gases.' l"

ion

Assuming that the gas used to aerate the water and oil is atmospheric air, it has presentl a certain amount of oxygen, and as the walls of the retort are maintained at a temperature of from between 1600 to 1800 F. the mixture rapidly reaches a temperature far in excess of the ignition temperature of any of the hydrocarbons present. Therefore, some combustion takes place between the hydrocarbons, the carbon and the oxygen present.

It is well known that water is more easily decomposed into its constituent 'parts in the presence of hydrocarbon in a high temperature' vapor phase. In decomposition, a large part of the hydrogen, while it is nascent, will combine with the heavy hydrocarbons to form more simple hydrocarbons, and with carbon to form carbon monoxide, and` in some instances, tar acids are also formed. In practicing my process, I prefer to. have a slight excess of water, which, in the last stage ofthe process, can be condensed back into the liquid state.

I use an insuiiicient amount of air or oxygen for complete combustion, but suillclentonly for an endothermic reaction, and due to this partial combustion, and the application of the external heat, the resulting chemical reaction converts the materials used into a fixed hydrocarbon gas having the desired B.`t. u; per cubic foot; it

being understood that the B. t. u.'may be varied by changing the proportions of the materials fed to the homogenizer.

In view of the fact that the quantity ofo gen present can be accurately controlled, it is possible, within reasonable limits, to control the heat value of the gas and the `amount of inerts such as nitrogen,aresulting'from the aerated uid. In the event it is desirable to prohibit the ow of any inerts, pure oxygen can be used for aeration, and in some instances, it will be found advisable to use a mixture of oxygen, with carbon dioxide as an inert gas.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the inventionk relates particularly to the production of fixed hydrocarbon gas, and not to the production of water gas or a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide gas. The production of low heat value gas from a mixture of oil and water, or steam, treated in a high heat chamber, is old and well known to .gas engineers, and I make no claim to thesame here. In accordance with my invention, an emulsion is prepared of oil and water, in which is entrained' a xed gas such as atmospheric air, fand this emulsion is injected into the heated retort in a finely divided or atomized state, and there subjected to a temperature range which does not permit the formation of free or amorphous carbon. However, the temperatures used crack the oil in the vapor state to fixed gases in the`pres- Aence of water vapor in conjunction with oxygen.

A typical analysis of the'resulting gases isherewith incorporated. Percent Illuminants or heavy hydrocarbons (liqueiable) J... Carbon monoxide (CO) Hydrogen (Hi)... T Methane (CHQ Nitrogen (Na) frigeration. When this is done, most of these .liquefied hydrocarbons will belong to the aromatic and olene series.

It is relatively` easy to produce a low heat .value water gas from hydrocarbon vapors, but more diilicult to maintain relatively 'high heat values. To accomplish the latter, it is-essential that there be a very intimate mixture of oil and water, so`that when the combined vapor is sub mitted to sufiicient heat, the dissociation of the water vapor andthe dissociation of the hydrocarbon molecule takes place simultaneously at their respective critical temperatures.

The presence of atmospheric air in the emulsion supplies suicient oxygen to aid the exothermic reaction during the period of'dissociationI of the water vapor. By the use of the emulsion with the entrained gas, the mass vot vapor is raised more rapidly to the point of 'dissociation into more simple molecules than is possible by a mixture of o il vapor and steam.

Pursuant to the invention, an emulsion composed of hydrocarbons in the liquid state. water in the liquid state, and' xe'd gas containing oxygenis preformed in such manner that each bubble of gas is microscopically small, and the emulsion is injected through high pressure pulmechanically, previous to the period when it is vaporized by heat.

It has been found impossible` to regulate the proportions of oil and water by metering nozzles and valves to get a uniform result, and that is the main reason. why I have gone to the premixture of the elements in definite proportions before discharging the emulsion in atomized condition into the heating zone.

I am aware that many method have been devised for thetrea'ting of oil and water mixtures,

but I believe I am the first to emulsify oil and then to rapidly heat the same`while`it is in a mechanically vaporized condition, whereby the reactions can be controlled by the amount of water added to the oil. So far as I know, it is also novel to subject an emulsiiied mixture of this character to partial combustion in the presence of a combustible gas, while also subjecting the same to externally applied heat.

By way of reiteration, I may state that in. accordance with this invention, gas may be manufactured from heavy oils which cannot be handled lby the refineries for refining purposes, and this oil is emulsied and atomized before h eat treatment which treatment converts the same into a fixed gas. Obvious1y,it .is possible by the present invention, to also refine the oil after being put into emulsied condition in the homogenizer.

From the foregoing it is believed that the operation of the system and the advantages thereof may be readilyiunderstood by those skilled in the art, and it is manifest that changes may be made in the details disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the claims. 4- I What I claim. and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:`

1. In a.process of the4 character described, premixing an admixture of heavy hydrocarbon oil and water with air to aerate the liquids to verizing nozzles, so that it is put in vapor state y 100. 0 an extent of from 10 to 25% in volume, homog- 150 combustible hydrocarbon sas.

enizinz these ulds and 'fthus producing an 'an extent of from 10 to 25% in volume, homogemulsion, and then subjecting the emulsion to' enizing these fluids and thus` producing an Wmi UCM 060mm U16 88H10 111m Md' HIHUISIOH, SUDMUM the emulsion in ahmed 2. In a. process o! the character described, premixing an admixture of heavy hydrocarbon carbon gw oil and water with air to serate the liquids to condition to a temperature of about 1600 F. to 1800 F., and thereby producing e.v xed hydro- MARvm W. DITTo. 

